Electric hose with end fittings for a vacuum cleaner

ABSTRACT

END FITTINGS FOR A VACUUM CLEANER HOSE HAVING INTEGRAL CONDUCTORS IN WHICH AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL OR PLUG IS INCORPORATED IN THE HOSE HANDLE FITTING AT ONE END OF THE HOSE AND ANOTHER COMPLEMENTARY PLUG OR TERMINAL IS INCORPORATED IN THE PUSH CONNECTOR FITTING AT THE OTHER END OF THE HOSE. EACH FITTING IS REMOVABLY CONNECTED AT THE END OF THE HOSE AND THE HOSE CONDUCTORS ARE PROVIDED WITH A PLUG SLEEVE OR BLADE WHICH IS PLACED IN A RECEPTACLE HOUSING MEMBER ATTACHED TO THE ASSOCIATED FITTING BY A CONVENTIONAL SNAP RING. THE RECEPTACLE HOUSING OF THE HANDLE   FITTING IS PROVIDED WITH A REMOVABLE COVER MEMBER WHICH IS HELD IN PLACE BY THE SNAP RING ALSO. THE RECEPTACLE HOUSING MEMBER FOR THE PUSH CONNECTOR END OF THE HOSE IS PROVIDED WITH A TERMINAL BLOCK WHICH FITS IN A RECESS IN THE HOUSING AND INCORPORATES A STRAIN RELIEF MEMBER FOR A SHORT LENGTH OF CORD CARRYING A PLUG WHICH EXTENDS FROM THE TERMINAL BLOCK.

R. J. BROWN ET AL Jan. 5, 1971 ELECTRIC HOSE WITH END FITTINGS FOR A VACUUM CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept.

J BY fZJoH THEIR ATTORNEY-5' ELECTRIC HOSE WITH END FITTINGS FOR A VACUUM CLEANER Jan. 5, 1971 v J. BROWN ET AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 9, 1968 INVENTOR. Boat-er J fleowfl Jon/Iv J KOWHIEIMi/{I BY JOI/A/ J. Mouql/rY WA? 5 THEIR ATTORNEYS United States Patent O M US. Cl. 339 10 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE End fittings for a vacuum cleaner hose having integral conductors in which an electric terminal or plug is incorporated in the hose handle fitting at one end of thehose and another complementary plug or terminal is incorporated in the push connector fitting at the other end of the hose. Each fitting is removably connected at the end of the hose and the hose conductors are provided with a plug sleeve or blade which is placed in a receptacle housing member attached to the associated fitting by a conven tional snap ring. The receptacle housing of the handle fitting is provided with a removable cover member which is held in place by the snap ring also. The receptacle housing member for the push connector end of the hose is provided with a terminal block which fits in a recess in the housing and incorporates a strain relief member for a short length of cord carrying a plug which extends from the terminal block.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Vacuum cleaner hose having electric conductors and fittings at each end for connecting one end of the hose to a vacuum cleaner and the other end of the hose to the Wand of a floor cleaning tool having a motor driven brush are known from US. Patents 3,127,227, 3,339,168 and copending application Ser. No. 592,827, now Patent No. 3,407,373, dated Oct. 22, 1968. However, the known hose end fittings are relatively complicated and therefore expensive to manufacture and assemble, and a skilled mechanic is required for field repairs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A vacuum cleaner hose having end fittings according to this invention consist of a minimum number of parts which are quickly assembled during manufacture and also provide for easy disassembly for field repairs. Further, a short length of cord extends from the push connector fitting and this fitting is provided with a strain relief for the cord.

An object of the invention therefore is to provide a vacuum cleaner hose having integral conductors with end fittings having electric terminals which are readily repairable.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electrically conductive vacuum cleaner hose with an end fitting provided with a strain relief element for a cord projecting from the associated hose fitting.

The foregoing objects and additional objects and ad vantages of the invention will be apparent from the presently preferred embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is an assembly view, partly broken away, of a vacuum cleaner hose according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the handle fitting shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the handle fitting show in FIG. 2.

3,553,629 Patented Jan. 5, 1971 FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the push connector fitting shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the terminal block of the fitting shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the terminal block shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an end view of the terminal block shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a handle fitting for a vacuum cleaner hose.

FIG. 9 is an end view of the embodiment of FIG. 8 taken generally on line 99 of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of still another embodiment of a handle fitting according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of a still further embodiment of a handle fitting according to the invention.

FIG. 12 is an end view of the embodiment according to FIG. 11.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As seen in FIG. 1 a hose 10 having integral electric conductors 11 is provided with a handle fitting generally designated 12 at one end and a push connector fitting generally designated 13 at the other end.

The handle fitting 12 will be described in connection with FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in which the handle fitting includes a bent end tube 15 of metal and a housing member 16 of insulating material having an electric plug body 17 integral therewith. As seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 the sleeve connectors 18 of the plug 17 are attached to the hose conductors 11 by crimping, welding or soldering. The sleeve connectors are then inserted in appropriately dimensioned openings 19 in the plug body 17. The sleeve connectors 18 are held in the plug body against axial movement within the openings 19 by a shoulder 19a and a plug body cap 20. The cap 20 and plug body 17 are provided with complementary tongue and groove type parts (not shown) for connecting these two elements. The cap 20 is removably locked in position on the plug body 17 by a conventional snap ring 21 which fits in an undercut recess 22 in the housing member 16 and an associated recess 22 in the cap 20. As best seen in FIG. 2 the snap ring 21 also connects the bent end tube 15 to the housing member 16 by virtue of the flange 23 on the barrel 24 of the bent end tube. A bearing sleeve 25 supports the bent end tube for pivotal movement relative to the housing 16. The bearing sleeve 25 is in turn supported on one end of an elongated ferrule 26. The end of the ferrule within the hose is expanded outwardly (FIG. 2) for clamping the hose 10 against the housing 16 as is well known and the ferrule is provided with an aperture 26a for receiving the end of a screwdriver whereby the ferrule can be collapsed for removal of the housing 16 from the hose.

As seen in FIG. 3 the various parts of the assembly (FIG. 2) are of simple design, few in number and are easily and quickly assembled and .disassembled for repair. For assembly, the sleeve connectors 18 are brought through an opening in the housing 16 and inserted into the openings 19 in the plug body as the end of the hose is pushed into the housing 16. The ferrule 26 is then inserted into the housing 16 and at the same time into the bore of the hose. The ferrule is then outwardly expanded to connect the hose and housing member 16. The assembly of FIG. 2 is then completed by slipping the bearing sleeve 25 over the exposed surface of the ferrule and the bent end tube is slipped over the sleeve 25. When the cap 20 is pushed into place the snap ring 21 is put in place as is Well known to complete the assembly of the handle fitting 12 at the end of the hose. For repairing the hose which most frequently ruptures near the handle fitting after a period of use, the snap ring 21 is compressed, as is well known, and removed from the undercut recess 22 in the housing 16 and cap thereby releasing for removal all the elements shown in FIG. 2, except the housing 16 connected to the hose by means of the ferrule 26. When the hose is cut off to remove the defective part, the ferrule is collapsed by inserting a screwdriver in aperture 26a to release the housing 16. In order to reassemble the handle fitting 12 only a new ferrule is required as well as a pair of sleeve connectors 18 which are attached to the hose conductors 11 which are removed from the newly cut end of the hose.

The push connector fitting 13 at the other end of the hose is illustrated in cross-section in FIG. 4 in which reference numeral 30 designates the known metallic shell which removably connects the hose to a vacuum cleaner as is well known. The shell 30 overlies a ribbed sleeve 31 of insulating material having a reverse bend 32 which receives or overlies the inner edge of the connector 30. A hollow terminal block housing 33 formed integral with the sleeve 31 and has an opening 34 through which a terminal block 35 is inserted into the housing 33. The terminal block removably carries a pair of conducting interconnectors 36. One end of the interconnectors is soldered, crimped or welded to the conductors of the cord 37 and the other end of the interconnectors 36 are coupled to the hose conductors in any suitable manner. The terminal block is locked in the housing 33 by the push connector shell 30 which overlies a flange 38 integral with the terminal block and bears against the wall 39 of the terminal block which forms a closure for the opening 34. The subassembly shown in FIG. 4 is held together, and connected to the hose 10, by a second ferrule 40 which is radially outwardly expanded to clamp the hose against the sleeve 31. An opening 41 in the sleeve provides a passage for the hose conductor wires 11 through the sleeve and into the housing 33.

The terminal block 35 of the push connector, best illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, includes a cylindrical portion 40 which is open at both ends for receiving the cord 37 and integral with a bulkhead 41 which is normal to the axis of the cylinder 40. The bulkhead 41 is provided with two pairs of notches 42 which extend inwardly toward each other as seen in FIG. 7. The conductors 43 of the cord are brought out of the cord jacket and wrapped about the bulkhead 41 through the notches 42 and terminate at the interconnectors 36. Each of the interconnectors 36 are removably attached to the terminal block 35 between opposite spaced pairs of resilient fingers 44 formed integral with the terminal block. The hose conductors 11 are connected to the opposite end of the interconnectors 36 in any suitable manner thereby connecting the hose conductors and the cord conductors. It will be apparent however that this connection is relatively fragile and could he accidentally broken by an axial pull on the cord 37. However, the bulkhead 41 holds the wires 43 of the cord so that this cannot happen. The hose wires coupling with the interconnectors are immovable under ordinary circumstances since the hose is quite rigidly connected with the sleeve 31 and the terminal block is immovably held in the housing 33 thereof.

Another embodiment of a handle fitting generally designated 112 for an electric vacuum cleaner hose is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In this embodiment a housing member 116 of insulating material having an electric terminal receptacle 117 integral therewith is connected on the end of the hose by means of a ferrule 126. The ferrule is radially outwardly expanded to clamp the hose against the bore of the housing member 116 and inwardly collapsed by inserting a screwdriver in aperture 126a as noted above. A discrete plug body 119 fits in the terminal receptacle 117 and the hose conductors 11 are brought out through the housing 116 by way of an opening (not shown) and connected in known manner with the terminals 118 incorporated in the plug body 119. In this embodiment the receptacle cover 120 is integral with the bent end tube bearing piece 125 and the locking ring 150. The bearing piece 125 is inserted into the bore of the bent end tube whereby the tube 115 is pivotal with respect to the remainder of the fitting 112. The bearing piece 125 and associated ring 150, and the cover consist of insulating material and are formed integrally in any suitable manner. The flange 152 between the ring 150 and bearing is provided with opening 153 for receiving projections 151 which are integral with the housing 116. The projections 151 have an undercut 122 which receive a locking ring 121 for removably connecting the insulating parts associated with the bearing piece 125 and the housing member 116 as well as the bent end tube which has an outwardly extending skirt 115a for this purpose.

Another embodiment of a handle fitting according to the invention is shown in FIG. 10 which is similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 except that a separate plug body 219, similar to plug member 119 of FIG. 8, is utilized. The plug body 219 is loosely connected on the housing member 216 attached to the hose by ferrule 226 as previously described by means of a blade 255 which fits into an appropriate slot 256 in the plug member 219. An elongated cover member 220 which overlies the plug body 219 is connected to the housing 216 by means of a tongue and groove connection (not shown) and these two parts are removably locked together by means of a snap ring 221 as described above in connection with the embodiments of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

The further embodiment of a handle fitting illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12 consists of a housing member 316 of insulating material having a bore at one end for receiving the hose 10 and a second coaxial bearing bore for pivotally receiving expanded end 325 which provides the bearing in this embodiment for tube 315. The bent end tube 315 is held in place by a snap ring 321 and a radially outwardly extending flange 315a. The hose 10 is held by the ferrule 326 in the same manner described in connection with the above embodiments. In this embodiment however the plug member 319 is constituted of a soft rubber like material which is merely pushed into the receptacle 317 after the hose wire 11 is connected thereto. The receptacle is removed by pressing a button 320 which snaps into an appropriate recess in the receptacle 317.

The foregoing description of the various embodiments is given by way of example only.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination comprising a hose having electrical conductors integral therewith, a repairable handle fitting at one end of said hose and a repairable push connector fitting at the other end of said hose for connecting said hose to vacuum cleaner means; said handle fitting having a housing member of insulating material concentrically surrounding one end of said hose, expendable means for removably connecting said hose and said housing member, said expandable means comprising a ferrule having an aperture therein whereby said ferrule may be collapsed inwardly for disconnecting said hose from said housing member, a bent end tube and removable means for pivotally connecting said bent end tube with respect to said housing member, bearing means connected with said housing member for supporting said bent end tube, said bearing means being removably attached to said connected hose and housing member, and electric receptacle means having terminals coupled with said hose conductors, said electric receptacle means being removably connected with said housing member.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said push connector fitting includes an electric cord extending therefrom, and means for removably connecting said cord conductors and said hose conductors, said last named means including a strain relief member coupled with said cord conductors.

3. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said ferrule has an axial extension projecting beyond said housing member and being received within said bent end tube; said bearing means comprising a discrete sleeve interposed between the adjacent surfaces of said bent end tube and said ferrule extension.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said receptacle means comprising a plug body integral with said housing member, said terminals being removably connected with said plug body, a cover member being movably attached to said plug body, for enclosing said terminals and associated hose conductors, said cover member being locked on said housing member by said removable means for connecting said bent end tube and said housing member.

5. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said removable means for pivotally connecting said bent end tube and said housing member comprises a recess in said housing member overlying said bent end tube and a snap ring receivable in said recess for engaging a radially outwardly extending flange on said bent end tube; said cover member having a corresponding recess coextensive with said first mentioned recess when said cover member is attached to said plug body.

6. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said electrical receptacle means comprises a discrete plug body, a transverse slot extending through said plug body, a blade radially extending from said housing member receivable in said slot for removably attaching said plug body on said housing member, a cover member movably connected on said housing member for overlying said plug body and enclosing said terminals and associated hose conductors.

'7. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said expandable means comprises a 'ferrule for connecting said hose and said housing member; said bearing means comprising a locking ring detachably connected on said housing member, a bearing piece on said locking ring projecting axially beyond said housing member and being received within said bent end tube; said receptacle means comprising a plug body removably receivable in a receptacle portion of said housing member, said plug body having terminals removably connected with said hose conductors and a cover member integral with said locking ring for enclosing said terminals and the associated hose conductors, said locking ring being attached to said housing member by said removable means for connecting said bent end tube and said housing member.

8. The combination according to claim 5, wherein said removable means comprises a plurality of axially extending projections on said housing member overlying said bent end tube, said locking ring having a web portion connecting said ring and said bearing piece, a plurality of openings in said web portion for passing said projections through said Web portion, said projections having a recess opening inwardly and a snap ring receivable in said recess for engaging a radially outwardly extending flange on said bent end tube whereby said bent end tube and said locking ring and associated elements are removably connected with said housing member.

9. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said expandable means comprises a ferrule for connecting said hose and said housing member; said bearing means comprises an axial extension of said housing member projecting from said housing member for receiving said bent end tube within the bore of said axial extension; said receptacle means comprising a plug receptacle depending from said housing member for receiving a pliable plug body having a button received in a complementary recess in said plug receptacle.

10. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said means for removably connecting said cord conductors and said hose conductors comprises a sleeve of insulating material overlying the other end of said hose, a push connector shell on said sleeve, an expandable ferrule for connecting said sleeve to said hose and said shell to said sleeve, a receptacle depending from said sleeve, a terminal block having resilient finger members for removably attaching interconnectors coupling said hose conductors and said cord conductors, said terminal block being received in said receptacle and having strain relief means integral therewith for engaging said cord conductors, and means including said shell for retaining said terminal block with said receptacle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,127,227 3/1964 Edwards 33915 3,300,571 1/1967 Downey et al. 174-47 3,314,039 4/1967 Opper 339-15 3,339,168 8/1967 Belicka et al. 3395 3,407,373 10/1968 Brown et al. 3395 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner R. A. HAFER, Assistant Examiner U.S. C1. X.R. 174--47; 2857 

